TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN (C+)
Before I even begin to explain the title of this review or divulge into the Transformers sequel, first we must discuss....Megan Fox. Oh my word Megan Fox. Please, please marry me. Ms. Fox is so gratifying to stare at in Revenge of the Fallen she is considered a delicacy in many countries. Her body was carved by God himself with the intention of making every male in the world squirm as the camera focuses on her wonderful aura.Megan also stepped up her acting game in Revenge of the Fallen, which was a big contrast from her work in the original. Megan brought the terror of being hunted by many gigantic killer robots to the screen. It would be so fantastic if Megan could keep improving as an actress so audiences could see her in more roles, and more challenging ones.
Revenge of the Fallen has Shia LaBeouf returning as Sam Witwicky, but 2 years following the first film. Sam is trying to live a normal life by going away to college and moving away from his ridiculous parents. The problem is that he still has his alien protector Bumblebee pent up in his garage, and secret information the Decepticons need to unlock a powerful weapon ingrained in his brain. The Decepticons lead by a resurrected Megatron (voiced by Hugo Weaving) search tirelessly to find Sam and get the information out of his brain. Sam is assisted by his woman Mikaela (Fox), Bumblebee, former Sector 7 Agent Simmons (John Tuturro), and others to get to the weapon before the Decepticons can destroy our sun forever.
Back to Michael Bay-SPLOSIONS! The TV show Robot Chicken created a hilarious sketch about Michael Bay's tendencies as a director seen here. Michael Bay has directed both Transformers movies, and kept with his usual formula of tons of CGI+lots of explosions= a blockbuster movie. Revenge had plenty and plenty of action, almost enough to complain about by the end. Bay's direction was very good in most aspects of the film.
However, amidst all the action sometimes it just seems like a jumbled mess of confusion bringing me back to the notion of too much action in this film. Bay gets up close with tight shots on the action which at times provides a sense of danger and excitement; but also makes it difficult to differentiate which robot is which or what is really happening in that clanking, explosion filled screen.
Don't get me wrong, the CGI in this film was some of the best I have ever seen; top notch in every regard. The sound effects during the entire movie were out of this world (pun intended), and were turned all the way up to 11. Especially the alien sound effects used when the alpha villain Fallen wreaks havoc on the American military. Revenge of the Fallen could have benefited from someone on the movie set pulling Michael Bay aside and asking him when they were going to use an actual camera again, and not just a computer to create every scene. Not a complaint, just an observation of his overwhelming use of the computer for this project.
One of my favorite things in movies is to watch military leaders command their forces. Just like the first Transformers the audience gets an up close and personal look at the inner workings of a military operation. I absolutely love when the commanders issue orders and we get to watch the various military assets execute in the field. This technique is well used in Michael Bay films and Revenge of the Fallen is no different.
Flaws in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen:
No Rachael Taylor (seen right).
Although not a flaw, I missed Jon Voight as the Defense Secretary.
Apparently the US government covered up the fact that gigantic robots had an all out war in the middle of a gigantic city with thousands of witnesses that took place in the first movie. How could a battle of that magnitude ever be hidden from the public eye? The robots literally destroyed 4 city blocks. IMPOSSIBLE to sweep under the rug.
Tyrese Gibson. I get he has to be in the sequel, but god does he suck at acting. Perfect solution?? Tyrese dies right away, I mean 3 minutes in the movie...BOOM...everyone is happy.
The Devastator has balls...a robot; just retarded.
Some people say the comedy was forced, some thought it worked. I am leaning towards forced. (the robot humping Megan Fox) Not during the whole film, just at times. There were many hilarious parts that worked so well with the story, others not so much. Sam's mother (Julie White) in general was over the top, and I found her dialogue annoying and tasteless in most regards.
I really thought it seemed like the writers went out of their way to try and personify the robots and give them all human characteristics. They are an alien race from outer space, why would they act like us?? This especially holds true for the old timer robot, Jetfire.
Overall, this blockbuster sequel is all it was hyped up to be -- mindless blockbuster action. What else is Bay good for? Don't let some douche tell you Transformers 2 sucks, because it doesn't suck. Is it as good as the first one? No. Is it enjoyable to watch? Absolutely. It gets far too long at 2 hours and 30 minutes, but anyone with a thirst for action will be satisfied.
The film has almost no replay value being that long and containing hardly a plausible piece of great writing in the whole story. It was fun to sit and watch it unfold once, but I probably won't need to spend time in my life watching this movie ever again.
I aggrieve almost every aspect of every movie. So me saying I like it should mean any casual viewer will enjoy it. If you are a guy, here is one reason Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is worth seeing: Megan Fox.
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